Disney/ABC Twisting Truth About WGA

Sur le même thème que "Disney/ABC Twisting Truth About WGA"

Microsoft adds Disney-ABC to Xbox, Zune to Canada

At its chief executive Bill Gates' final CES keynote, Microsoft tonight made a pair of significant expansions of its Xbox and Zune handhelds. The company's Xbox Video Marketplace has now signed on content from Disney-ABC as well as MGM. This places... [lien] [EN]

Teri Hatcher at the Disney / ABC TCA All Star Party

Teri Hatcher at Disney and ABC’s TCA - All Star Party at The Beverly Hilton Hotel. [lien] [EN]

What's Really Going On At ABC Studios...

EXCLUSIVE: Expect an announcement in the next days that Morgan Wandell, the SVP of drama development at ABC Studios, is going to run Brothers & Sisters and Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money producer Greg Berlanti's hot company under a new multi-million dollar and multi-year development deal there. But here's what won't be in the press release: that Wandell was supposed to get the job of ABC Studios EVP of development being vacated by Julia Franz. He didn't because ABC Entertainment topper Steve McPherson blocked it.  McPherson has always had an issue with Wandell, I'm told, but it's more than a personality conflict. My sources say the two butted heads on shows. Then McPherson was royally pissed when he passed on Wandell's development of Criminal Minds and The Ghost Whisperer only to see Wandell sell the shows to CBS. [lien] [EN]

One Of Disney’s ‘Jonas Brothers’ Is Gay

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. There is something at the water at Disney that makes their teen stars freak out and nearly ruin their careers. Miley Cyrus is running all over town taking raunchy photos of herself on her camera phone, now one of the virginal Jonas Brothers is about to come out of the closet. BGay.com broke the news just a few minutes ago. As you read this Papa Jonas is having a heart attack and praying for his evil son’s soul Which of the three Jonas Brothers is in fact gay and has been threatening to defy his parents orders to stay in the closet and may be getting ready to come out very soon? The boy - who is far from being the virgin all the three brothers claim to be - has been dating a much older guy from The Jonas Brothers’ home town of Wyckoff, New Jersey for several months. [lien] [EN]

ABC to open up video player

As part of Disney-ABC’s new “Open ABC” initiative, developers will be able to build on the network’s video player to “innovate and give access to our shows (in ways) we haven’t even thought of yet,” such as new forms of 3D visual search and other applications for blogs, fan sites, and social networks. [lien] [EN]

TOLDJA! Reorganization At ABC Entertainment & ABC Media Studios: Changes, Firings And Layoffs

UPDATE - I already reported this months ago, and then gave more details weeks ago. So today's ABC announcement is ridiculously anticlimactic. But, of course, the shakeup would finally be announced while I was out of the office. Now, here's more:   I'm also told by sources that Carolyn Cassiy, AJ Marcantonio, Heather Roth, Brian Harvey, Liz Dickler and Jodie Platt were all let go. Safe are Patrick Maguire, Kelly Lugenbeihl, and Amy Hartwick. Dana Gotlieb is joining ABC Media Studios' comedy department. Zack Olin is going to the ABC network comedy department. As expected the shakeup was brutal. As I expected, Steve McPherson distanced himself. And Barry Jossen was out of town. One source tells me people were summoned to Jossen's office where a Human Resources exec observed while Jossen fired them over the phone. [lien] [EN]

ABC, Disney to sell TV shows on Xbox

Gates also announced that ABC and Disney will sell their hallmark shows, such as Lost and Grey's Anatomy, on Xbox Live. MGM will also offer movie downloads on the service. "This is not a hobby for Microsoft, this is something we take quite seriously," said Microsoft exec Robbie Bach. Release... [lien] [EN]

CES: ABC, Disney and MGM bring content to XBLM

Filed under: News, Xbox Live Marketplace, Video MarketplaceToday, as part of their CES announcements, Microsoft revealed that ABC, Disney and MGM have signed up to offer new content via Xbox Live and the Xbox Live Marketplace. The new content will rollout later this month to the US video marketplace from television channels including ABC, ABC News, ABC Family, Disney Channel and Toon Disney as well as movies from MGM's massive library. Standard and high-definition content from television shows like Lost, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Hannah Montana, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and movies including Terminator, Silence of the Lambs, Legally Blonde, Barbershop and Rain Man. New video content that'll be sure to empty your Microsoft points account. Side note: The Microsoft CES keynote is still chugging along. [lien] [EN]

EXCLUSIVE: Attempt Fails To Restart WGA-AMPTP Talks; Outlook Very Grim

Here is what is clear to me based on new reporting about the entrenched positions of both sides: hopes for any kind of settlement have dimmed. I have learned that last week Jeffrey Katzenberg tried and failed to backchannel a compromise that would have brought both the WGA and the AMPTP back to the bargaining table. It was an effort that was laudable. But the fact that it was unsuccessful dramatically points up disturbing realities, I have learned: that the CEOs are deeply entrenched in their desire to punish the WGA for daring to defy them by striking and to bully the writers into submission on every issue, and that the moguls consider the writers are sadly misguided to believe they have any leverage left. I'm told the CEOs are determined to write off not just the rest of this TV season (including the Back 9 of scripted series). [lien] [EN]

Truthing Obamafuscations: Part 4 of a Continuing Series Through November — ABC News Puts The 16 Month Iraq Withdrawal Under The Microscope

Posted by WLS: Last week Obama suffered a little dustup with the press and the leftwingnutroots over the suggestion that after visiting Iraq and consulting with the combat commanders, he might find cause to “refine” his position on the pace of troop withdrawals that he has pledged both on the stump and in writing on his campaign website: Bringing Our Troops Home Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. Obama will make it clear that we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq. He will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda. [lien] [EN]

SATURDAY BOX OFFICE: Guinea Pigs Rule, Heigl's 'Ugly Truth' Makes Bank, 'Harry Potter 6' Fades Fast, 'Orphan' Opens

[g_force] [Ugly Truth Movie Poster 2] SATURDAY PM: Here's first look at early North American box office numbers for today. . G-Force -D (Disney) $7 million Saturday & $2M this weekend. Jerry Bruckheimer attempted his first -D foray featuring secret agent guinea pigs. Which just goes to show that sometimes moviegoers will watch anything. But this CGI family fare was incredibly expensive so the pic's profitability is a real question mark. . Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (Warner Bros) $2M & $9M weekend. It continues to drop harder than the last one. Cume is now $1M. . The Ugly Truth (Sony) $7M & about $5M weekend. This Katherine Heigl-Gerard Butler pic, directed by Legally Blonde's Robert Luketic, barely received 5% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and The New York Times' Manola Dargis stuck it to Sony's Amy Pascal for making such anti. [lien] [EN]

SHOCKER! Disney Buying Marvel For $4B!

1TH UPDATE: Here's the list of characters included on Marvel Island - Spider-Man (also attraction), Dr. Doom (also attraction), Hulk (also attraction), Storm (also attraction), Captain America, Cyclops, Green Goblin, Rogue, Storm, Wolverine, "and lots more if you include stores and dining," a Uni exec tells me. 0TH UPDATE: I get the impression that Universal lawyers right now are scrutinizing their theme park licensing and merchandising contracts with Marvel. Universal has just updated its earlier statement to me to say this, "Marvel Super Hero Island at Universal’s Islands of Adventure and the Marvel characters are an important part of the Universal Orlando experience. They will remain so. Our agreement with Marvel stands for as long as we follow the terms of our existing contract and for as long as we want there to be a Marvel Super Hero Island. [lien] [EN]

Part III: SO WHAT'S THE REAL STORY? Kimmel Joined Leno Complaining To WGA; Jay Was Threatening Union To Go Fi-Core; WGA Prez Pledges Action Against Leno

URGENT: Writers Guild president Patric Verrone is going on air telling radio and TV media today that the union will go after member Jay Leno for writing his own monologues. This is a 180-degree turnaround from the guild's position yesterday that it didn't want a battle with the late night TV host over this issue. Verrone just appeared on Fox. But he told The Thom Hartmann Show on Air America this morning, ''Jay is a longtime member of the guild and we've known him a long time and it's clear to us that [writing his monologue] is a violation of the rule. There are strike rules and we're going to have to enforce them against him.'' Strike-breaking is a serious issue for the WGA and its strike rules require members to report any activity in that realm. Discipline for violations of a strike can include expulsion. [lien] [EN]

Hollywood Scuttles Golden Globe Parties; WGA May Still Set Up Picket Line Sunday

HBO, InStyle/Warner Bros, Universal and more are busy canceling their Golden Globes parties right now. WGA may still picket what's left of the telecast Sunday night.  I'll have a complete writethru, with all of today's twists and turns, later tonight. [lien] [EN]

Interview With Former ESPN News Anchor And Current 6-ABC Philly Sports Anchor Keith Russell

Interview With Former ESPN News Anchor And Current 6-ABC Philly Sports Anchor Keith Russell   Covering Sixers games you come across all kinds of Philly luminaries inside and out of sports. Sitting in press row, you might see David Aldridge or Phil Jasner doing their thing any given night. Since I live in the Philly area, I get a chance to see their local news stations. There’s nothing like Action News. I grew up watching professionals like Vernon Odom, Jim O’Brien (Sportscaster turned comedic weatherman who tragically died in a parachuting accident helping someone parachute to safety) and the beautiful Lisa Thomas-Laury. So one day to my surprise, I saw Keith Russell anchoring sports here. I was shocked being that he was one of my favorite ESPN News anchors because of his quick wit. [lien] [EN]

Bratty Big Media Moguls Are Beginning To Exact Revenge On Pro-WGA Hollywooders

What an incredible list of petty, mean-spirited and just spiteful behavior the Hollywood CEOs are compiling for themselves. Really, they're never going to be able to explain away this stuff when the strike eventually ends and they're held accountable by everyone else. I've been confirming episode after episode of the AMPTP's giant multimedia members retaliating in every way possible against anyone in Hollywood helping the WGA's side in this strike dragging on and on. I'll keep updating as more instances come in to me (so keep refreshing for the latest): -->Disney/ABC has decided not to pay for hair and make-up and even cars for its stars going to the SAG awards, since the screen actors guild members have aligned themselves with the WGA. "Their reasoning is that they don't want to pay for actors to get all dressed up only to bad. [lien] [EN]

WGA Confab Timetable For Next Few Days

Do not, repeat, do not, believe anyone who claims that the writers strike is over yet. Here is what informed sources are telling me as to the WGA's plans for the next few days... The WGA leadership is hoping to finish tonight or early tomorrow drafting the language of the deal they've negotiated with the moguls. ("Our friends at the DGA didn't leave us language that could serve as a template. In fact, the DGA has no language beyond what was in their press release because they figured they had until June to work it out," an insider tells me.) Then the WGA intends to email to members and/or post on the WGA.org website that language so the members will have an opportunity to digest it before Saturday's meetings. On Saturday, the WGA West membership meets at the Shrine Auditorium and the WGA East convenes at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Times Square for a definitive informational confab with the leadership. [lien] [EN]

Disney downloads $1 billion in online revenue

I remember how giddy I was when one of my sites first hit 1 million page views in a month, then 1 million uniques, but I would certainly like to be giddy about making $1 billion online, as Disney is. The mouse made bank online from advertising during its ABC network hits such as “Lost” [...] [lien] [EN]

ABC Prez Psyched About Synergy First, Dying Man Second [David Westin]

Boy, ABC News president David Westin must have really been moved by the story of Randy Pausch, a 47 year-old professor and father who has terminal cancer. It's not every day an exec as high up as Westin takes the time to email the entire ABCTV staff just to talk about an uplifting story! Westin is truly touched by how Pausch has altered our lives. That's one interpretation. Another, more accurate interpretation, which is completely validated by the contents of Westin's email [via Jossip], is that the exec saw a good chance to use this ill man's story as an example of the badass corporate interactivity going on under the Disney umbrella. Westin's totally excited about Pausch's TV segment, sister company Hyperion is publishing the book, and the guy once wanted to be an "Imagineer" for another Disney unit. [lien] [EN]